Texas Teen Whose Last Wish Was to See Parents Has Died
She was being treated for T-cell lymphoma, lung disease and pneumonia.
— -- An ill Texas teenager whose last wish was to see her parents whom she hadn't seen in 13 years has died, according to a hospital spokeswoman.
Qirat Chapra, 18, was a patient at Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston, where she was being treated for T-cell lymphoma and other illnesses, including lung disease and pneumonia.
Chapra died Saturday at Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital, a hospital spokeswoman told ABC News today. The family did not release any additional information on her death, said the spokeswoman.
She told ABC News in November that she hadn't seen her parents since she arrived in the United States as a child to treat multiple illnesses, including lymphoma and chronic lung disease.
Neelam Ghanchi, an aunt who cared for the teen, told ABC News station KTRK-TV that Chapra was born in the U.S., moved to Pakistan but then returned to the U.S. at the age of 4 when she first became sick. She had been separated from her family in South Asia ever since.
"I’ve been here 13 years and I've been in and out of the hospital ever since," Chapra said. "I have a lot of family members and relatives here and they’re really great and so supportive, but there’s nothing like your parents."
She said she just wanted to share a few simple experiences with her parents in person, instead of only talking with them on the phone or by email.
Then, on Nov. 25, Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital said "the family got the call that visas for her mother and father have now been approved and, according to the family, Chapra could be reunited with her parents as soon as next week."
Chapra's parents did make it to Texas, the hospital spokeswoman told ABC News today. The hospital declined to release additional details, but KTRK-TV reported that, when the parents reached the hospital, they learned "Qirat had been unconscious hours before they arrived."
"I really want them here," Chapra told ABC News in November. "I want to see them before I get really sick and can't do anything with them."
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